Trash: the uncomfortable side of consumption

We are responsible for the products we buy from the moment that we take in hands until the final destination that we give them. In Brazil, this is already law, and reaches businesses and ordinary people.

The growth of the world population, added to the growing consumer demand, is generating an outsized garbage on the planet. The United Nations (UN) alerting Governments to the threat that a "global crisis of waste". According to UNEP, the UN program for the environment, cities generate 1.3 billion tons of solid waste annually, and should reach 2.2 billion tons by 2025.

Currently, each human being consumes, on average, 9 tonnes of materials throughout his life. Whereas there are 7 billion inhabitants on the planet, it's not hard to estimate the volume of goods produced and, consequently, of garbage generated by population size. The pace of consumption registers historical brands, surpassing in 50% the recoverability of the planet. The UN forecast is that we will reach 9 billion inhabitants in 2050.

The garbage generation in such high level signals the extent of impact of human activity on Earth. Is garbage of all kinds, many of them are little known, little disclosed or without any disclosure, as the space junk, Atomic and radioactive, for example. Hover in orbit debris from spacecraft, satellites, rockets and other debris into space by many countries. This is debris that can cause accidents and disasters for humanity down from heaven.

But if in some sectors it is difficult to assess the amount of waste generated, in others, its growth is visible, as is the case of the industrial and domestic waste. With the evolution of technology, the products become obsolete overnight, everything feels disposable and all is replaced by new versions that reach the market. The population, on the other hand, is bombed to consume, and consume more.

In our culture, talk about reducing consumption, consumption and the like, is not always a welcome conversation. People react badly when they are taken to reflect on the fact that everything you consume generates garbage and that just like when purchasing a commodity she belongs to us, belongs to us the garbage that it generates. We are responsible for the products we buy when we take in hands until the final destination that we give them.

What to do with the garbage is the question around the 21ST century. With so much junk falling on our heads, Brazil hasn't been as ignore the problem or delay a concrete action to confront the scenario exposed by garbage. Then, after two decades, walked out of the drawer sleeper Bill that instituted the national solid waste policy, in August 2, 2010. Two years would be the term that the country would have to develop environmental management plans and deploy the policy. The deadline has been extended, but in most Brazilian cities bad management plans started.

It is up to society to participate, follow up and charge the authorities achieve national solid waste policy, in order to promote changes in the environment and in mainstream consumer culture.